FAMILY MANUAL 2013-2014 “Lord make me an instrument of thy peace”

Transcription

FAMILY MANUAL
2013-2014
“Lord make me an instrument of thy peace”
2516 Palm Street
Bakersfield, CA 93304
661-326-7955
661-327-0395 fax
www.stfran.org/sfs
-1©2013 St. Francis Parish School
From the Pastor....
August, 2013
Dear St. Francis Parish School Families,
I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our Parish School. For over 100 years St. Francis
Parish School has offered a strong, faith-filled education for Catholic families. The Church states that parents are the primary educator of their child and we are here to assist you, because we know what an important role you have…being a parent.
By representing the values, changes and spirit of the Roman Catholic Church in our curriculum and
activities, I believe we can help you to develop loving, caring, and faith-filled children. We have a collaborative group of administrators, staff, teachers and aides, who I believe God has chosen to guide your child.
Know that example is the greatest teacher. We invite you to be active members in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, or whichever parish your family attends. Together, through your School, worship, and fellowship, our children will come to know and love Christ through His Church.
I pray that this new school year will be spirit filled and the entire experience of being a part of the St.
Francis family blesses each of you.
Rev. Msgr. Craig F. Harrison
Pastor
Join Us For Worship
Saturday
Sunday
Daily
8:00 am (Honoring Mary)
5:00 pm (Vigil)
7:30 pm (Vietnamese)
6:45 (English)
8:30 (Family)
10:30 (Family)
12:00 Noon (Youth)
5:00 pm (Spanish)
7:00 pm (English)
6:30 am
12:10 pm
St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church
-
900 H. Street
Confessions
Saturday 8:30 am - 9:30 am
or call the Church Office for an
appointment at any time.
-
(661) 327-4734
From the Principal....
A Prayer for those in Leadership: Holy Wisdom, Spirit of Truth, be with
those who have been called to leadership…. Strengthen them to do what is
needed to further the reign of justice and mercy in our world. Give them
words that animate and challenge us to action. Give them vision and
perception to read the signs of the times. Give them hearts of compassion
to understand the needs of your suffering people. Amen.
Praying in the Spirit of Catherine McAuley,
Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy
August 2013
Dearest St. Francis School Families,
On behalf of our administrative team: Mrs. Diana Othart, Vice Principal; Dr. John Ritter, School
Administrator, Mrs. Mary Johnson, Pre-School Director, faculty and staff, and myself, I would like to take
this opportunity in welcoming all of our new families to the St. Francis Family and to say “Hello” to our
returning families after what I hope was rest-filled and blessed summer.
We do have a few new faces to add to our faculty and staff along with students and their families.
Let’s take time to meet and greet one another as we begin a fantastic new year with all of its challenges in
the spirit of faith, family, and friends. I treasure meeting each and every one of our families and working
together in building our community with a deep sense of respect for one another and responsibility in our
thoughts, words, and deeds.
We live our lives walking in the footsteps of our patron, St. Francis, and are blessed to have the
opportunity in celebrating weekly Mass for our students on Fridays and spending time in prayer before the
Blessed Sacrament at Adoration on Thursdays unless otherwise noted. We will walk to Church for certain
Holy Days and the end of the school year Mass in May.
Please take note of the following:
• As a new parent at St. Francis of Assisi Parish School and those who wish to volunteer in your child’s
classroom or assist in field trips you MUST attend a Safe Environment workshop and be fingerprinted
to have a Clear Criminal History on file in the school office. If you would like to drive for field trips, we
need you to give us a copy of your driver’s license and your declaration page of your automobile
insurance. Please check with the office for training times and dates for Safe Environment. There is an
online training available which you may want to ask about as well.
• Our Camp KEEP for sixth grade students will be held from Monday, September 9th through Friday,
September 13th. St. Francis Parish School will be attending with the other Catholic/Private Schools in
Bakersfield.
• On Friday, September 13th 2013, there is a noon dismissal in preparation for our Parish and School
Annual Fiesta.
We will begin our weeks of IOWA Assessment testing from September 16th through September
27 . Please DO NOT make any doctor’s appointments or vacation plans for those two weeks. The first
three hours of the morning will be used for testing in grades two through eight. It is very important that
your children arrive at school on time and have had plenty of sleep and a good breakfast. Your cooperation
is greatly appreciated!
th
From the Principal.…(continued)
We will continue to email your statements and other communications home to you. It is imperative
that you check your New Information email daily. If you have not activated your new Information Now
account, please email your account request to bsousa@stfran.org and she will email you your activation
code. Our teachers will be responsible in updating Information Now, therefore, your cooperation will be
greatly appreciated.
We are blessed with a committed and talented faculty and staff and we are blessed with a beautiful
campus and school that is a safe haven for our children. We have the latest technology and educational experiences to enhance the learning of our students. We have the support of our School Board, the PTO, and
the St. Francis Foundation working with us. At last, but certainly not least, we have the faith-filled commitment of you, our parents, as we work in partnership in the spiritual and academic formation of our children.
We look forward to a successful school year as we work with our parents, the primary educators of their
children, in building a responsible, respectful, faith-filled, Catholic community here at St. Francis of Assisi
Parish School.
On behalf of our pastor, Monsignor Craig Harrison, Mrs. Diana Othart, Dr. John Ritter, Mrs. Mary
Johnson, and myself, and in the words of St. Paul… let us use every chance we have for doing good and
place our hope in our God for a wonderfully blessed new school year.
May our God bless all our families, faculty, staff, and benefactors this school year.
Sincerely in Christ,
Sister Cristina Caballero, RSM
Principal of St. Francis Parish School
Visit our website online at
www.StFrancisParishSchool.com
For quick and easy access to the calendar,
newsletters, teacher contacts and more
Check out our website!
Table of Contents
Section I
History of St. Francis Parish School… Page 7
Section II
Philosophy… Page 15
Section III
Policies & Procedures… Page 20
Section IV
Academic Curriculum… Page 25
Section V
School Support Groups… Page 46
Section VI
St. Francis Pre-School… Page 50
Section VI I
Organizational Structure… Page 53
Section VIII
Facility Maps…...Page 56
Section I
History of
St. Francis Parish School
History of St. Francis Parish School....
The Sisters of Mercy originally staffed St. Francis Parish School which began in 1910. The
school was located on Truxtun Avenue between “H” and Eye Streets, in the heart of the
downtown area. Beginning in 1940, one (1) year of high school was added each year, thus
making St. Francis a combination grade and high school.
In 1943 the Dominican Sisters of Tacoma, Washington accepted the leadership of the
school. It continued to operate as both grade and high school until September of 1947
when Garces Memorial High School was opened. St. Francis High School students transferred to the new co-instructional, inter-parochial school staffed by the Dominican Sisters
and the Christian Brothers. At this time the seventh and eighth grade boys from all parishes in the city also attended classes at the Garces campus. Seventh and eighth grade girls
remained at their respective parish schools.
In 1951 a new eleven-classroom elementary school and cafeteria for grades K-8 was built at
the present location on Palm and Pine Streets. Classrooms were added in 1954 and again
in 1962, bringing the total number of classrooms to fourteen (14) plus a Library. The Kindergarten was discontinued in 1955.
In 1963 the Garces Junior High for boys was closed in order to free the Christian Brothers
to take on more of the teaching load for the expanding high school; seventh and eighth
grade boys were again taught at St. Francis. This arrangement continued until 1964 when
all seventh and eighth graders at St. Francis attended class at the St. Francis Annex, a fourclassroom junior high located on Stockdale Highway. In the fall of 1970, due to the financial difficulty of operating two (2) schools, all students returned to St. Francis School. This
school now accommodated students from grades (1) through (8). Grades one through (5)
had self-contained classrooms and grades (6), (7) and (8) were departmentalized.
In 1971 the sixth grade returned to a self-contained classroom until 1988-89 when it was
once again configured with the seventh and eighth grade departmentalized structure and
remains that way today. During the summer of 1972 Room 14, an unused classroom, was
carpeted and converted into a Faculty lounge-workroom, which gave faculty a place to
meet, work and relax.
In 1981 Room 7 was once again made into a Kindergarten facility. St. Francis re-started
their Kindergarten program with a three-hour morning session and a three-hour afternoon
session. This program continues through to the present.
In 1985 an extended Day Care operation was added to the school through the joint cooperation of the School Board and Administration. Childcare was offered for forty-five (45)
minutes before school and three (3) hours after school. Room 6, an unused classroom, was
utilized for Childcare before and after school and as the tutor’s room during the school
day.
History of St. Francis Parish School (continued)...
In 1988 the Day Care was moved to the Cafeteria because all existing classrooms were
needed for classes. In 1989 four (4) additional bedrooms in the Convent were converted to
school use. A Library was constructed adjoining the Computer room. The existing Library on the east end of the north wing became classroom 15.
In 1990 additional classroom space was needed and the existing teachers’ lounge, that was
originally classroom 14, was re-converted back into a classroom and once again became
Room 14. The storage building that was built in 1982 was consolidated and half of it was
remodeled for the teachers’ lounge and workroom. A small patio for eating outside was
also constructed.
In 1990 the PTO committed to running a self-contained full service lunch program. Monsignor Lahey had purchased a new stove and refrigerators in the spring of 1989, and the
PTO purchased a garbage disposal, dishwasher, and deep fat fryer. Volunteers ran the
lunch program for the school.
In the summer of 1991 a new playground was installed in the sandbox area of the school.
The play structure was purchased by Nellie Martinez as a memorial to her daughter Jessica, who was kidnapped and murdered the year prior. The landscaping and construction
of the playground was a donation of various businesses in the community.
In the fall of 1992 the parish bought three (3) houses and a lot adjacent to the school property. This purchase gave the school ownership of all the property facing Palm between A
and Pine: two (2) lots facing A Street, all but two (2) lots facing Dracena and all of the
property facing Pine. During the spring two (2) of the lots were cleared and prepared for
construction.
In the summer of 1993 new bathrooms were constructed adjacent to the Cafeteria and a
permanent cover was installed over the patio area. The existing bathrooms were converted
to offices and workrooms. Two (2) classrooms and a parking lot were constructed on the
newly acquired property. The house on Palm Street was converted into a Religious Education Center. There were seventeen (17) classrooms on campus and two (2) classes per
grade level. The teacher’s lounge was converted into a classroom and half of the storage
area was converted into a teachers lounge.
In the spring of 1993 the School Board committed to establishing a Pre-school. Michelle
Le Favre was hired as director and began development and licensing of a program. A
house was rented at the school’s expense for the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Crondlet and
the convent was converted to a Preschool. A house was located on Palm Street three (3)
doors down from the school. Construction and moving began in June and was completed
in September 1993. The Kindergarten moved into the old Chapel and the Kindergarten
room was converted into a junior high science room. The school now had eighteen (18)
classrooms, Library, Computer Lab, offices and full-service kitchen and Cafeteria.
The Preschool site was used for extended Day Care at this time. Michelle Le Favre was
transferred to Sacramento and Mary Johnson was hired as Preschool Director.
In 1994 the breezeway was glassed-in making a reception area and meeting space. Air conditioning and heating were installed in the office complex. The Pre-school was completed,
licensed and teachers hired. From the day it opened the Pre-school has been full with a
three-year waiting list. In 1995-96 the school was wired for Internet access and networking.
Telephones and message system were installed in every room.
In 1996-97, with the help of the St. Francis School Foundation, a thirty (30) station computer lab was installed in Room 15. Dell computers, a server, and two (2) air conditioners
were purchased and remodeling of the room was completed. Converting space presently
occupied by two (2) offices and the teacher’s kitchen provided space for a new classroom.
This new classroom is located between Room 12, an original classroom, and Room 14 was
converted from the teacher’s lounge. In 1997-98 the Student Government students remodeled the area between the North and South building installing planters, benches, planting
new plants in all the areas. New coolers were installed in all rooms and new carpeting was
installed in all classrooms.
In 1998-99 the breezeway was converted from meeting and reception space into office
space. The two (2) small class spaces were converted into a teacher’s workroom space.
The Vice Principal’s office had an outside access door installed. In the summer of 1999 the
Library and Computer Lab (in the old Convent) were remodeled into two (2) Kindergarten
classrooms and the Pre-school and Kindergarten were renovated with new coolers, thermopane windows, new flooring and new cabinets. The Cafeteria was renovated with new
wall covering, new ceiling and windows the previous summer. The Pre-school gained an
additional classroom, the capacity was increased and the new room was immediately filled.
The classroom between Rooms 13 and 14 was renovated for a second time and was converted into a Library. The teacher’s lounge was remodeled and a kitchen, bathrooms and
air conditioning were added. A house on “A” street, that adjoined the property, was acquired and remodeled into the extended Day Care facility. That facility was out-grown in
two (2) months and traded space with the Religious Education Center. The teacher’s workroom in the office complex was cut in half and half the space was assigned to the CCD director for an office. The end of Room 14 was assigned to CCD for storage. The “A” Street
house became the Religious Education Resource Center and the Palm Street house became
the extended Day Care house with one (1) room being used as the school’s tutoring classroom, one (1) room as the Foundation Office, and one (1) room as the Day Care office.
The three (3) living spaces are used for extended Day Care.
The summer of 2003 began the new re-modeling plan. Room 8 was gutted and new energy
saver windows, lighting, air conditioning, white boards, bulletin boards, and rug were installed. New desk were purchased and the room was up-dated. This was accomplished
largely by donation with the promise of paid work for all the other rooms.
The pastor wanted to get an accurate figure of the cost of the renovation of each room so
that he could begin a re-modeling capitol campaign. Also included in the capitol campaign
was a new gymnasium to be built on the east side of the campus and two (2) new classrooms to be added to the first grade classroom wing. The summer of 2003 also saw the
completion of the security fence around the school and the installation of new sprinklers on
the back field.
The 2004-05 school years saw the re-instatement of a music program to the school curriculum, and a formal art curriculum was added in grades K-8. The PTO purchased new computers for the Computer lab and St. Phillips the Apostle parish gifted the school with a
PowerPoint projector to be used in class rooms, at assemblies, and at Church. The Academic Decathlon team won first place and represented the Fresno Diocese at the State
Competition. New math textbooks were purchased for grades K-6.
In the 2005-06 school year classroom aides were added in each math, reading and English
class. The aides provided the opportunity for the classroom teacher to provide targeted assistance to students with additional educational needs. The Capital Campaign purchased
new tables and chairs for the Cafeteria. The Capital campaign Committee, after successfully raising over six (6) million dollars, began planning for the refurbishing of the school
and Pre-school. The PTO contributed $30,000 for new playground equipment and playground bark. The money has been put in savings until the refurbishing plan is finalized.
Finally, new literature textbooks were purchased for grades six (6) through eight (8).
Currently in the school complex there are twenty-one (21) classrooms, a Library, Computer Lab, teacher’s lounge, teacher’s workroom, eight (8) offices, a workroom three (3)
storage spaces, Cafeteria, kitchen, six (6) Pre-school classrooms, a Pre-school kitchen and
laundry room a Chapel and office. There is a school playground and Pre-school playground with two (2 parking lots. There are 554 student enrolled in the total parish school
setting. The students are taught by lay teachers, one (1) religious teacher from the Sisters
of Mercy and a lay principal.
The 2006-2007 school year began with a “new look" after the summer of construction.
Underground wiring provided for the upgrade of the PG & E service. Asbestos was removed from the ceilings of all classrooms. Insulation and additional ceiling support have
been added in preparation for air conditioning units that are to be installed next summer.
The PTO and Foundation purchased new playground equipment and two (2) new classrooms will be completed for the Kindergarten. With the Kindergarten move to the main
campus, the Preschool will be able to accommodate more students. Next summer, the
Capital Campaign will complete the renovation of classrooms with the installation of
“dropped ceilings”, new doors, new windows, new wiring and air conditioning. After a
textbook review at the end of the 2005-2006 school year, new textbooks in Social Studies
were purchased for grades Kindergarten through eight (8).
- 10 ©2013 St. Francis Parish School
The 2007-2008 school year begins with renovation of classrooms under way. All fourteen
(14) classrooms will be completely renovated by June 2008. During the summer the water
pipes were replaced in the Pre-school and the Pre-school was painted and refurbished.
With the addition of the two (2) classrooms previously used for Kindergarten the Preschool is able to serve more of our parish students. The primary education building was
dedicated in the memory of Adrian Pasquini. Science books have been purchased this year
and a new position of Student Activities has been added to the administration. This is a
part-time administrative and part-time teaching position which will enhance physical education, health curriculum and student extra-curricular activities in sports and academics.
By March of 2008 all students had moved back into the renovated classrooms and computer lab. With the conclusion of the renovation all asbestos has been abated in the school
complex. In May of 2008 the St. Francis School Foundation equipped eight (8) classrooms
with Smartboards and sound systems and six (6) classrooms with projectors and sound systems with Smartboards planned for installation in the 2008-2009 school year. In May California Steaming was purchased for all classrooms and teacher began using it. California
Streaming provides over 5000 video and PowerPoint presentations that are standard based
to enhance the curriculum. The St. Francis Academic Decathlon Team won First Place in
the Diocese of Fresno competition and represented the diocese at the state competition in
San Diego. The class of 2008 and the ASB officers gifted the school with the Prayer of St.
Francis which is hung on the east cafeteria wall. The principal became an associate of the
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and the pastor was elected the bishop’s Vicar Forane for
the Kern Inyo deanery.
The 2008-2009 school year began with a re-novated campus. During the summer of 2008
the asphalt playground surface and part of the concrete surface were torn-out and resurfaced with drainage and a new concrete playground. New sprinklers were installed and
new grass was planted in the lawn area. The PTO and Foundation funded all the playground work. Teachers reviewed the English textbooks in 2008 and previewed the reading
series in 2008-2009. A new language arts textbook series will be purchased this school
year.
During the summer of 2008 the “A” Street house was re-novated to house the Extended
Day Care Program and the Palm Street house was re-novated to house the Religious Education Program for the parish. The Title I tutoring program and the primary/middle grade
tutoring program moved into the former Religious Education Program office. The Spanish
curriculum added an additional level with the purchase of middle grade Spanish textbooks.
Physical Education in the fourth grade became single sex physical education along with
grades 5-8. Third grade moved to the first and second grade lunch and recess schedule,
and honor roll eligibility was deferred to the second semester, making the transition from
the primary to middle grade curriculum easier for the third grade students. For the fourth
consecutive year classroom teachers and their respective students and school wide community service projects contributed over $25,000 back into the community.
The Academic Decathlon team placed fourth and an eighth grade student won the Human
Resource contest. An alarm system was installed throughout the entire campus.
In the fall of 2008 the intermediate classroom wing was dedicated to Dolores Freeman
Cerro who donated over (2) million dollars for capital improvements and scholarship to
St. Francis Parish School. Education City was purchased for the computer lab. The pastor
was elevated to Monsignor in the spring of 2009. The principal received the NCEA Distinguished Principal Award , and the Pastor received the NCEA Distinguished Pastor’s
Award for a Catholic School at the NCEA convention in Anaheim in April. A vice principal was appointed by the Pastor in May and will begin with the 2009-2010 school year.
In 2009-2010 St. Francis Parish School completed a WASC/WCEA accreditation in the
fall and received word in June 2010 the school had received full accreditation of six (6)
years. In the spring 2010 the school celebrated its 100th anniversary with a week-end long
celebration that included a dinner dance and a Mass the following morning celebrated by
Bishop John Steinbach. The 100th anniversary committee published a history book titled
FAITH and a cookbook was also published to commemorate the anniversary. KNXT TV
televised several programs about the anniversary and Catholic Education. The Foundation completed the Smartboards installation in the first grade and a sound system in the
Computer Lab. The PTO was very successful with their fundraising and was able to fulfill
their budget commitment plus update computers in the Computer Lab and the classrooms,
purchase new uniforms for the sports teams and an internet filter system for the school. In
May the school held a old-fashion field day for the students to celebrate the 100th anniversary. A retirement party was held to say good-bye to Mrs. Beck, Mrs. Tanner and Cindy
Peters. Monsignor Craig announced that the school would have a new administrative
structure with Mr. Antongiovanni as Administrator, Mrs. Meek as Principal, Fr. Denis
Ssekannyo as Vice-Principal and Miss Pascoe as Counselor. The School Board by-laws
were revised to reflect this new administrative structure.
The 2010-2011 school year brought more exciting changes to the St Francis school community. Mrs. Meek announced her retirement and Msgr. Craig assembled a committed
group to plan a very memorable retirement party for Mrs. Meek. In attendance were her
family, close friends and associates she had worked with and cherished throughout the
years. Although is difficult to think about life at St. Francis without Mrs. Meek, again
Msgr. Craig assembled a very dynamic administrative team in an attempt to replace Mrs.
Meek. Fr. Dennis was promoted to Principal, Mrs. Othart and Sr. Cris were appointed as
Vice Principals and Dr. John Ritter was hired as School Administrator to support and
mentor the new administrative team. With this team of administrators Msgr. Craig is confident that St. Francis Parish School will become stronger academically, grow spiritually
and build on an ever-stronger faculty to prepare student for continued academic success
and spiritual growth. St. Francis Parish School is committed to fostering in students a
greater understanding of their faith, a greater passion for learning and increased success in
higher learning.
Technology changes were made and St. Francis up-graded its computer servers and
increased the broadband so teachers and students would be able to access information
more quickly and parents would have access to increased information about the academic
progress of their children.
A weekly school Mass was scheduled on campus, providing for more frequent services for
students; thus, students would no longer have the weekly walk to Mass at St. Francis Parish church.
The Pre-school roof was completely removed and replaced and air conditioners replaced
swamp-coolers in every classroom making it more comfortable for the “little scholars”.
The Pre-school interior courtyard was also renovated, resurfaced and another play area
was added.
Section II
Philosophy
Diocese of Fresno Mission Statement
dents spiritually, academically, and socially.
“Fulfilling The Mission of Jesus Christ,” the
primary goal of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fresno, is to assist students to grow
into fullness of life in Jesus, to embrace their
baptismal call to ministry, and to continue the
mission of Jesus in their lives. Thus, the diocesan motto for the Catholic schools.
Philosophy
This motto stresses that graduates from St.
Francis Parish School should realize Jesus’
unconditional love in their lives and freely embrace His mission, ministry, and values. Their
lives should be founded upon six (6) central
Christian virtues:
A. Faith: The graduate is a person whose faith
in God is living, conscious, and active.
B. Courage: The graduate is a person who willingly acts on his/her Christian convictions
no matter the cost, the pain, or the sacrifices it entails.
C. Respect: The graduate is a person who respects and honors God, self, and others.
D. Integrity: The graduate is a person who consistently stands for and lives his/her moral
principles.
E. Responsibility: The graduate is a person with
the capacity to make free and responsible
decisions and the ability to accept both personal and social responsibility for his/her
actions.
F. Compassion: The graduate is a person who
feels the pain of those suffering and who
works toward making a better life for all
those in need.
St. Francis Parish School Mission Statement
St. Francis Parish School strives to provide
excellence in student-centered education
through integration of faith, family and
friends. The school promotes the development
of an educated, confident, self-disciplined and
community-conscious Catholic Christian. St.
Francis Parish School recognizes the parents
as the primary educators of their children and
works with them in partnership to prepare stu-
St. Francis Parish School believes that Jesus
Christ is the reason for the school. He is the
unseen, but ever-present teacher in the classroom, the model for faculty, the inspiration for
children, parents, and the source of all Christian life. The Catholic Church believes that
each Catholic-Christian child has the right to
the best Catholic-Christian education possible.
St. Francis Parish School welcomes the responsibility to achieve this goal. The school
lives the mission of Jesus to form a community
of believers and to teach the redeeming message of God's love. The school invites everyone into a life-giving relationship that challenges each person to become a unique member of the community who respects and appreciates nature, culture, and other people as part
of God's Creation. St. Francis Parish School
exists to provide a quality education, to build
the self-esteem of students and to prepare them
to become the future leaders of our parish,
their community, and their world.
Spiritual
The primary purpose of a Catholic-Christian
school education is to communicate Christ’s
message. St. Francis Parish School empowers
students to live the faith in their relationships
and activities with Catholic-Christian values.
Their faith becomes a living, conscious, and
active reality through teaching and learning.
St. Francis Parish School students are encouraged to foster their personal relationship with
Jesus Christ and become an active faith-filled
Christian who practices his/her faith by making good moral choices and is aware that his/
her actions have consequences.
Academic
St. Francis Parish School believes that parents
are the primary educators of their children.
The school works with them as a cooperative
community having common purposes and mo-
tivated by common ideals. The school is committed to assisting parents in educating their
children to become respectful, responsible
young adults exhibiting good sportsmanship
and good citizenship. Each student is provided the opportunity to achieve his/her highest academic potential, spiritual growth, emotional development, and sense of integrity in a
child-focused and nurturing environment. The
school will help students become lifelong
learners and problem solvers who can express
their thoughts, be organized and creative, and
highly motivated individuals. They are lifelong learners who appreciate the pursuit of
knowledge and possess a sound foundation in
all subject areas. They can adapt to change
and use critical and analytical skills in obtaining the objectives and goals they have set for
themselves.
Social
St. Francis Parish School concentrates on
forming a Catholic-Christian who is a
person involved in all sectors of society, including family, church, the work community,
nation and the world. Catholic-Christian education offers each student the opportunity to
learn and practice personal and interpersonal
skills, which enables him/her to give service to
society.
St. Francis graduates recognize and appreciate
the diversity of cultures represented in the
church-school community. They are responsible citizens who possess and respect the integrity of others and of themselves. Faculty and
staff at St. Francis Parish School maintain integrity in all areas of their profession. A mutual respect and unity among staff, parents,
parish and community is foremost. It is the
school’s responsibility to work in partnership
with parents as the primary educators and as
role models for their children.
School - Wide Learning Expectations
St. Francis School Students are:
1. Active Christian Leaders who:
♦ Respect and appreciate nature, and all people as part of God’s creation;
♦ Make good, moral choices; and
♦ Live and practice their Catholic/Christian faith.
As evidenced by:
Showing respect toward everyone and everything in nature;
Using critical thinking skills and moral decision making to determine
right from wrong;
Learning the teachings of the Catholic Church and living it through
their actions and prayers;
Growing in Faith; and
Providing service to others.
2. Life long learners who:
♦ Have a foundation in all subject areas and possess organizational skills;
♦ Can express thoughts in written and oral form;
♦ Appreciate the pursuit of knowledge; and
♦ Are creative and self-motivated.
As evidenced by:
Proficiency in academic subjects and consistent use of organizational
skills;
Ability to complete written assignments and give oral presentations;
Self-motivation to complete projects and assignments; and
Exploring and researching unknown topics.
3. Problem Solvers who:
♦ Have the ability to set objectives and accomplish goals;
♦ Use critical thinking and analytical skills;
♦ Are able to adapt to change; and
♦ Make responsible decisions.
As evidenced by:
Setting short term goals in order to reach long term goals;
Attempts to resolve conflict on their own using critical thinking skills;
and
Willingness to be open minded
and
- 18
- flexible.
©2013 St. Francis Parish School
School - Wide Learning Expectations .…(continued)
4. Responsible Citizens who:
♦ Are aware that actions have consequences;
♦ Have a sense of integrity; and
♦ Exhibit good sportsmanship and citizenship.
As evidenced by:
Following set rules in and out of the classroom;
Avoiding arguments;
Showing responsibility and team work;
Always trying their best; and
Showing humility in all actions.
Section III
Policies & Procedures
This section contains the most updated policies
and procedures, but not all of the policies of
St. Francis Parish School.
the previous year is
“probationary” status.
ADMISSIONS
admitted
on
a
Right of Admission
Immunizations
The Catholic schools of the Diocese of Fresno
reserve the right to admit, re-admit, or deny
admission to any student. All new students
will be on probation for their first year of
school.
No Catholic student resident in the Diocese
shall be denied access to a Catholic School
solely on the basis of inability to pay full tuition.
Prior to admission, students who are transferring from another school are required to submit a letter of recommendation from the principal and/or present or most recent past
teacher; submit test scores and a copy of the
most recent report card; and take the required
testing administered by St. Francis Parish
School.
A birth certificate, baptismal certificate, social
security number, and health record are required of parents at the time of registration.
Information shall be entered on the permanent
record when verified by the above official
documents.
Conditional/Probationary Admission
Each Catholic school may decide to admit or
place a student on a “conditional” or
“probationary” basis if the school has reason
to believe any of the following apply:
Student history of poor attendance;
Student history of poor academic performance;
An educational or physical disability
which makes demands on the school
which the school cannot meet;
Student history of poor disciplinary record;
Student history of emotional instability; or
Mid-year transfer.
A student entering St. Francis Parish School
who did not attend St Francis Parish School
Students, including Kindergarten, are required
to be immunized according to current California state law or the student WILL NOT be
admitted.
In accordance with California state law, students must have the following immunizations
before being allowed to enter school:
U Childcare entry: 4 Dtap, 3 Hepatitis, 3
polio; 1 MMR and 1 HIB meningitis (both
of which must be on or after the first (1st)
birthday; and 1 Chickenpox immunization;
U Kindergarten entry: 5 Dtap, 4 Polio, 3
Hepatitis, 2 MMR (both of these must be
on or after the first (1st) birthday, and 1
Chickenpox immunization; and
U 7th grade entry: Tdap booster (new California law), Dtap booster, 3 Hepatitis and
2 MMR. A Chickenpox immunization is
recommended if the child has not already
had the disease.
IF THE CHILD IS NOT CURRENT WITH
HIS/HER IMMUNIZATIONS, STATE
LAW REQUIRES THAT HE/SHE NOT BE
PERMITTED ENTRY TO SCHOOL UNTIL THE PARENT CAN SHOW PROOF
THAT THE STUDENT HAS COMPLETED
ALL IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS.
NON-DISCRIMINATION
POLICIES
Harassment is “Illegal”
St. Francis Parish School is committed to providing a Christian learning environment that is
free from any form of harassment. St. Francis
Parish School will treat allegations of harassment seriously and will review and investigate
such allegations in a prompt, confidential, and
thorough manner (Diocesan policies 3710 &
3711).
Suspected Child Abuse Reporting
FINANCIAL POLICIES
St. Francis Parish School and its employees
comply with the reporting requirements of
California’s Child Abuse Reporting Law. St.
Francis Parish School will immediately report
any known or reasonable suspected incidents
of child abuse to a child protection agency
(Diocesan policy 4710).
Tuition and Fees
St. Francis Parish School, mindful of its primary mission as an effective instrument for the
education ministry of the Church and to be
witness of the love of Christ for all, admits students of any race, color and national and/or
ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally made available
to students at school.
St. Francis Parish School does not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, national and/or ethnic origin, age, sex, or disability in the administration of education policies, scholarship and
loan programs, and athletic and other school
administered programs.
Tuition is the moral and contractual responsibility of parents/guardians for students attending St. Francis Parish School. Tuition may be
paid in one (1) annual payment, or on an
eleven (11) month payment plan starting July
1st with the last payment due May 1st. Families
should expect a modest increase in tuition annually.
Upon being accepted to St. Francis Parish
School, a non-refundable Registration Fee of
$450 and a Parent Participation Fee of $250 is
charged each year to each parent account. All
ten (10) hours for the Parent Participation
Fee must be worked to receive the $250
credit. No partial credit will be awarded.
Parent Participation Hours are to be worked at
a designated/approved Parish or School function and are to be signed-off by the supervisor
of the activity.
Tuition Assistance
Likewise, St. Francis Parish School does not
discriminate against any applicant for employment on the basis of sex, age, disability, race,
color and national and/or ethnic origin.
Student Threats
St. Francis Parish School personnel will respond seriously to all threats to inflict serious
harm to self or others including practical jokes
or offhanded comments, or bullying. The
school staff will respond to any statements or
behaviors of a threatening nature, any behaviors by individuals that might pose a threat to
the well-being of students, staff, or others, and
any weapon possession including look-alike
weapons (toy knives or guns). St. Francis Parish School has an obligation to keep the school
safe and will respond seriously to all threats. If
a student/parent is aware of a threatening
situation, report it immediately to the school
administration.
The school believes that a Catholic education
is one of the most important investments a
family can make in a child's future and is grateful to the thousands of families who have
made significant sacrifices to send their children to St. Francis Parish School. The school
also understands that many families financial
situation makes it difficult for them to afford
the full cost of tuition. It is for those families
that the St. Francis Tuition Assistance program exists.
In order to apply for tuition assistance, families
must complete the FAIR application form,
provide a copy of their Federal Tax Return
and submit their request by April, 15th each
families demonstrated need, financial information and their students’ academic records are
evaluated. If a family is approved for tuition
assistance, they will receive an award letter
stating the amount of aid granted. These letters are mailed in June.
Tuition Assistance is awarded for one (1) academic year at a time. No family will receive
more than 33% of their tuition expense. If aid
is granted, it will be applied toward tuition
only.
In order to remain on tuition assistance, a family
must comply with the following:
Must re-apply for tuition assistance each year.
Tuition payments must be made in full by
the tenth of each month;
Child(ren) must maintain a 2.0 or higher
GPA;
Child(ren) must maintain regular
attendance and have no more than three
(3) unexcused tardies for the year;
Presence at work parties and fundraisers is
required (family will be notified by phone
or mail of the dates);
Must pay all registration fees;
Students who are placed on academic or
disciplinary probation may not receive
financial assistance.
Method of Payment
Tuition payments can be paid in eleven (11)
monthly payments and are due on the first (1st)
of each month, beginning in July and ending
in May. Tuition and fee payments received
after the tenth (10th) of the month or not paid
in full are considered delinquent and will incur
a $25 late fee. Any check made to the school
that is returned for non-sufficient funds (NSF)
will be charged a $25 fee for each occurrence.
After two (2) NSF notices families must pay
tuition and all other accounts by money order,
cash, Cashier Check, Band Card or VISA/
ATM cards for the remainder of the school
year. The first tuition payment must be received prior to the start of school. Tuition payments may be automatically deducted from the
Band Card, VISA/ATM card on the first (1st)
of each month. Please contact the school office for details. Students will not be permitted
to attend class if tuition is thirty (30) days
delinquent.
Volunteer Personnel
(reference Diocesan policy #3400)
By order of the U.S. Council of Bishops and
the Diocese of Fresno, all volunteers at St.
Francis Parish School and St. Francis Church
must have completed Safe Environment training, been fingerprinted, and receive a clear
criminal history before they can volunteer at
the school and/or Church, including driving
for field trips. Certificate of completion of Safe
Environment training must be on file in the
office. After the initial training the volunteer
must have a refresher course every two (2)
years to remain valid.
Restricted Access to Campus and School Events
(reference Diocesan policy # 4790)
To protect the safety and security of students,
school employee, and volunteers, all Catholic
school campuses and their scheduled offcampus events and activities are closed to the
public. The school, with or without cause,
may at its sole discretion invite parents, guardians, relatives and friends of students and others to come on campus or attend off-campus
school events and activities.
A. The school shall reasonably attempt to control and monitor all visitors to campus during instructional time. All classroom visits
must be pre-approved by the school administrator. All visitors must sign-in/out at
the front desk and must wear a Visitor
Pass while on campus.
B. The school, with or without cause, may
deny or limit a student’s parent entry to the
campus, or to off-campus events or activities.
C. Registered sex offenders listed on the
Megan’s Law web site, who are disclosed
to the school, are prohibited from coming
on campus unless accompanied and supervised at all times by a school administrator
or designated school employee.
Traffic, Parking and Pick-up
8. All cars must be legally parked for a
child to enter or exit the vehicle.
Traffic at the beginning of the school day,
end of the school day, evening and daytime
activities is extremely heavy and dangerous
in the residential area of the school. Therefore the following rules apply:
1. Cars must be parked legally before a student may enter or exit the automobile.
Students and parents must observe the
traffic laws including jay walking.
2. Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 are picked up or
dropped on Pine Street Drive Gate.
Families in carpools or multiple children,
the grade of the oldest child prevails with
the exception of Kindergarten.
3. Grades K through 3 (kindergarten
child prevails) are picked up or dropped
off in the “A” Street parking lot. If you
want to walk and meet your child, you
must be in a parking spot. If you chose
to use the loading zone, you must remain in your car and move forward in
an orderly manner. Students must be
accompanied by an adult to enter the
parking lot.
4. Preschool students are picked up or
dropped off on Pine Street or Dracena
and must be signed out and in.
5. During performances, sporting activities
or after school and evening meetings or
fundraisers, parents and guests are requested to fill all parking lot spaces before parking on the street. If you must
park on the street, please do so legally
being careful not to obstruct driveways, corners, and garbage pick-up.
Please make sure your children are respectful of our neighbors’ property,
and do not obstruct traffic flow. No
blocked intersections.
6. No U-turns in school zone.
7. No jay walking. You MUST use the
crosswalk.
AIR QUALITY POLICY
Air Quality Policy
In order to protect the health of its students, St.
Francis Parish School monitors projected local
air quality to identify periods of unhealthy air
quality as determined by the San Joaquin Air
Pollution Control District. During periods of
unhealthy air quality (AGI of 151 and above),
the school may limit afternoon strenuous outdoor activities for the entire school population
including Physical Education, athletic events,
or practices.
Certain sensitive students with medically identified respiratory difficulties or diseases (such
as asthma) may need to refrain from vigorous
activities even before the general school population limits its activities. If you believe your
child qualifies as an air quality “sensitive” student, please request an “Air Quality Sensitive
Group Form” from the school office.
Section IV
Academic Curriculum
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
study of other appropriate subjects.
Confession
The Church recognizes the primacy of parents
in the education of their children especially
regarding the teaching of human sexuality.
Since human sexuality is incorporated into any
comprehensive Family Life Program, parents
who do not wish their children to participate
during the genitally explicit segment of the
Family Life or AIDS instructional program
shall petition the principal in writing to remove their child(ren) during such instruction.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is occasionally available at the school (see school calendar
for dates and times.) Students and their families are encouraged to avail themselves of the
sacrament weekly at St. Francis Church as
scheduled in the parish bulletin.
Mass and Adoration
Weekly School Masses: All-school masses are
scheduled weekly on Friday in the cafeteria.
These masses are prepared by different classes
and attended by Grades K-8. Parents are welcome to join in celebrating Mass. (See School
Calendar for dates and times.)
Parents who do request withdrawal of their
children from the genitally explicit or AIDS
instructional program segments of the Family
Life program shall be notified when these segments are taught. They will also be encouraged to provide their children with human
sexuality education within the family setting.
Formal uniform is the required wear for
Mass when held at the Church. Students
who are not dressed in formal uniform for
Mass will lose their lunch recess.
The school shall notify parents at the beginning of each school year what options they
have regarding the Family Life Program.
Sacramental Preparation:
Reconciliation
Parents shall be encouraged by the school to be
actively involved in the formation, implementation, and evaluation of the Family Life Program.
Holy
Eucharist/
Second Grade-Students will be prepared for
Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist (First Holy
Communion) through the Second Grade Religion curriculum.
New Third Graders Without Sacramental
Preparation will be referred to the St. Francis
Church Religious Education Program Director.
Note: Parents are required to attend designated
religious educational sessions.
Christian Families
Christian Families is a part of the religious
education and community service requirements of St. Francis Parish School.
Under the direction of Msgr. Harrison the
eighth grade students lead a balanced cross
section of the schools population (family) in
various religious discussions and volunteer services. Christian Families is modeled after the
families created by the early Christians. Chris-
Family Life Program
Family Life education is an essential part of
the curriculum of a Catholic school. Each
school shall implement a comprehensive Family Life Program that shall be taught as either a
separate curriculum or integrated into the
tian Families meet monthly on Mondays.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
record of daily homework assignments. Students are expected to complete homework at
the designated time.
Grading
Homework Guidelines:
Grades 3-8 are assigned grades using the following percentage scale:
100-95% = A
94-90% = A89-86% = B+
85-83% = B
82-80% = B79-76% = C+
75-73% = C
72-70% = C69-68% = D+
67-65% = D
64-60% = D59-Below = F
Grade Points
Grade points are assigned as follows:
A = 4.0
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
D+ = 1.3
D = 1.0
D- = 0.7
Kindergarten: 10-minutes daily - minimum
Grade 1: 20–minutes daily – minimum
Grade 2: 30–minutes daily – minimum
Grades 3 & 4: 30–45 minutes daily – min.
Grade 5: 45–60 minutes daily – minimum
Grades 6, 7, & 8: 90 minutes daily – min.
(Times are based on a child with average ability .)
Make-up Work:
Assignments issued during an illness or family
emergency are due upon the student’s return.
For assigned work, teachers have the discretion to give one (1) day extra for each day of
absence. Work assigned on a day of absence
may be picked-up at 3:15 p.m. that day in the
front office. Teachers must be notified of prearranged absences so that work may be assigned. Planned absences of three (3) or
more days must have work request submitted
a week prior to the absences. These assignments are due upon return to class. Teachers
will not accept any homework that has been
sent via fax.
Jr. High Homework Guidelines
Homework
No homework will be assigned on Fridays
with the exception of class work that is not
completed during the class period. Every effort
will be made to minimize homework and provide time to work in class. This can be accomplished if the student attends to the task at
hand and does not waste time. If a school
week ends on Thursday due to a scheduled inservice or holiday, homework may be assigned
on Thursday.
Purpose: Homework is assigned at the discretion of the teacher and is used to supplement
and reinforce the concepts taught in the classroom. Students in grades 3-8 are issued an
assignment pad on which to keep an accurate
No tests will be administered on Mondays or
on a Tuesday following a Monday national
holiday. This policy excludes quizzes, which
can be administered any day of the week. Exception to this would be a test that had been
Quarter grade point averages for grades 3-8 are
computed on a unit times grade point value.
(Example: A grade of “B+” has a point value
of 3.3 multiplied by the unit value of the particular course. Example: 3 units equals 9.9
grade points.)
scheduled and had to be cancelled due to an
emergency at school or if the class only meets
on Monday ( Art, Spanish, Music). If two (2)
tests are administered on one (1) day, there
may also be a vocabulary test as well.
Students will be given assignments after each
lesson as review and reinforcement only. No
new concepts will be introduced in a homework assignment. Exceptions will be for research projects where students must investigate
various sources for new information.
Junior high students are expected to complete
homework on Parent Mandatory Meeting
nights. Teachers will honor occasions where
students are expected to attend an event by not
assigning homework or minimizing homework
on these nights. These events include church
and school sponsored family activities such as
Fiesta or Advent Services, Sports Awards, and
Open House.
No more than one (1) long-term assignment
will be due on any given day. An assignment
that requires three (3) or more days to complete is considered long term. This excludes
the Science Fair Project and calendar projects
for grade 5.
Late homework brought to school will not be
delivered to a student, it will be placed in the
teachers mail box if it is brought to the office
after school begins. It is the teacher’s discretion to mark it late or not.
Honor Roll
grade must be Good or Outstanding.)
Students achieving Pastor’s honor roll for three
(3) quarters during the school year, including
the last quarter of the previous year at St.
Francis, are invited to attend the Pastor’s
Honor Roll Luncheon during Spring Quarter.
Honor Roll Disqualification: Any grade of ‘D’
or ‘F’ will disqualify a student from the Honor
Roll, Principal’s Honor Roll or Pastor’s Honor
Roll. Grades below a ‘G’ (Good) in conduct
will disqualify a student for the Principal’s
Honor Roll and Pastor’s Honor Roll.
Testing
Annual Iowa A Test of Basic Skills: Testing
of students in Grade 2-8 takes place in the fall
quarter. The purpose of the testing program is
to evaluate school curriculum and the growth
of students so that they may be better assisted
in the learning process. Tests are machine
scored.
Results are released to parent/
guardians at fall parent conferences and placed
in the student’s permanent file.
Textbooks
Textbooks are issued by the school. From
time to time, some subject areas may require
the individual purchase of supplemental material and/or books incidental to a particular
subject area.
Textbook Fines
Students in grades 4-8 with the requisite grade
point average are eligible for Honor Roll, Principal’s Honor Roll and Pastor’s Honor Roll
recognition. Grade 3 is eligible second semester.
Textbooks must be covered at all times and
kept in good condition. Replacement of issued
textbooks which are written-in, lost, damaged
or destroyed, is the responsibility of the student. Parents will be billed by the school for
the replacement of or extent of damage incurred.
Honor Roll: 3.00 – 3.49 GPA
Graduation and Promotion Requirement
Principal’s Honor Roll: 3.50 – 3.74
Conduct grade must be Satisfactory, Good or Outstanding.)
Pastor’s Honor Roll: 3.75 – 4.0+ (Conduct
Students must have mastered a minimum of
75% of the content standards of their grade
level to be promoted unconditionally to the
next grade level.
Conditional Promotion
Students who have not mastered 75% of the
content standards for their grade, but have
mastered 50% or more, may be Conditionally
Promoted to the next grade level provided they
complete the summer school requirements as
designated by St. Francis Parish School.
area are on a two (2) hour delay, St. Francis will
also be on a two (2) hour delay. On Fog Delay
days the campus opens at 9:30 a.m. and school
starts at 9:50 a.m. Day Care is available from
6:45 to 9:50 a.m. for $5. per Fog Delay. If students are dropped off before 9:30 a.m. they will be
sent to Day Care and the parent’s account will be
billed $5.50.
Retention
Early Release Policy
Students who have not mastered 50% of the
content standards for their grade level may be
retained, asked to withdraw, or be recommended to transfer depending on their educational needs. At all times the educational
needs of the child are the school’s primary concern.
Campus Policy-when campus is open
Regular school days the campus is open from
7:30 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. Minimum school days
the campus is open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:20
p.m. Early Release Days the campus is open
from 7:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.
Unexcused Absences
A student is considered “unexcused” if he/she
is absent from school for any reason other than
illness or family emergencies. On rare occasions, the principal and teacher may determine
an exception to this policy.
Fog Delay Information
Fog delay announcements are on the following
radio and television stations:
KGET – 17 / NBC
(crawl on the bottom of the screen)
KERO – 23 / ABC
KBAK—29 CBS
KUZZ / FM 107.9 or AM 550
KERN / AM 1410
KLLY / FM 95
KNZR / AM 1560
If it is announced that the Kern High School District or all high schools in the greater Bakersfield
Every first Tuesday of the month will be an
Early Release for teacher meetings. NO
homework club is scheduled for those days.
Early Release is also scheduled for teacher in
-services. On an “Early Release Day” classes
will be shortened to forty (40) minutes per period and there will only be a ten-minute play
recess after lunch rather than the normal
twenty (20) minutes. There will be no afternoon recesses. Day Care will be available until 6:00 p.m.
Early Dismissal
Any person wishing to contact or take a student from class during a school day will first
report to the school office to sign-out the student. One (1) day’s prior notice is requested.
No teacher shall release a pupil to any unauthorized person who calls at the school to pickup a child unless the release is verified by a
note or telephone call from the child’s parent
or guardian.
Tardy Policy
When students arrive at school in the morning
they are expected to enter campus through the
Pine Street gate or the Parking Lot “A” gate.
These two (2) exterior gates will be opened at
7:20 a.m. and will be closed at 7:50 a.m. After
these gates are closed/locked students are
not permitted to enter campus by going
through the Daycare or the Preschool.
Should students arrive at school after these
gates are locked, they are to enter campus
through the front school entrance (2516 Palm
Street) and “check-in” with the front Office
Staff. Students who pass through the front office between 7:50 a.m. and before the 1st Period bell rings at 8:00 a.m. will be directed by
Office Staff to go to their 1st period class.
Students who pass through the front school
office after the 8:00 a.m. 1st period bell rings
will be assigned a Tardy. The decision as to
whether the Tardy is Excused or Unexcused
will be at the discretion of the front Office
Staff.
Students will be issued an Admit Slip that will
indicate if the Tardy is Excused or Unexcused.
Attendance procedures typically handled in
the Classroom/Homeroom (i.e., lunch order,
etc.) MUST be completed as the student passes
through the front school office. If the Tardy
student is in the 6th, 7th, or 8th grade class, the
student must present the Admit Slip to the Student’s Homeroom teacher before the student
moves to his/her scheduled class. First (1st)
period teachers are not responsible for assigning a first (1st) period Tardy. That task
will be the responsibility of the front Office
Staff.
Excused Tardy
Students who have a scheduled doctor/dental
appointment(s) will typically be excused; however, these students must present a note from
the doctor or dentist to the front Office Staff.
Other than for the above reasons, the Front
Office staff will have discretion as to whether
the Tardy is Excused or Unexcused.
Unexcused Tardy
Late to School in the Morning. Students who
are determined to be Tardy arriving at school
in the morning (after 8:00 AM) will have the
Unexcused Tardy recorded in the Attendance
Register and also recorded on the student’s
Report Card. Front Office Staff will make
this determination and enter accordingly into
the records.
A maximum of three (3) Unexcused Tardies
per academic year is permitted. The fourth
(4th) Unexcused Tardy will result in a $50 fine
that will be added to the family tuition account. The fifth (5th) and each subsequent Unexcused Tardy will result in a fine of $100
added to the family tuition account and the
family will be informed by letter or telephone
or email and will be required to schedule an
appointment with Msgr. Harrison. Action
taken at this meeting is at the discretion of
Msgr. Harrison and could also include: ineligibility for financial assistance; ineligibility for
After School Sports, Student Government or
other school activeties that are not academically based. Additionally, the sanction may
include additional fines, Suspension, Recommended Transfer or Expulsion. Unpaid Tardy
fines will be treated as unpaid Tuition. Please
refer to the Family Manual, Financial Policies.
NOTE: In responding to the sanction for
more than three (3) Unexcused Tardies as
listed above, and in lieu of the monetary fine
for the fourth (4th) Unexcused Tardy, the parent/student may opt to fulfill the sanction by
having the student attend Saturday Morning
Work Detail (4 hours) at the school or parish
church. For a fifth (5th) and subsequent Unexcused Tardy, the parent will be required to
schedule an appointment with Msgr. Harrison which could result in Saturday Morning
Work detail (4 hours) and/or additional
sanctions as listed above.
Internet Use
All students using the internet at school are
required to sign a technology agreement and
have it co-signed by their parents. Use of St.
Francis School name, pictures of students or
staff at St. Francis School, pictures of students in St. Francis School uniform, videos
taken at St. Francis School activities or any
other form of media that would identify students or staff at St. Francis School are strictly
prohibited for use on the internet unless written permission is given by the school and the
student's parents. Students who violate this
policy or the technology agreement will be
disciplined.
St. Francis School strongly recommends that no
student at St. Francis Parish School have a personal internet site.
Eligibility and Ineligibility
In order for a student to be eligible for a after
School Sports, Student Government, Academic Decathlon, dances, and any other after
school activities that are not academically
based, the student cannot have two (2) D’s or
an F respectively. In order to be reinstated to
the activity the student must present a Friday
Report that shows all grades two (2) weeks after the progress report or report card.
Student Government
In order to be eligible for Student Government
the student must maintain a 3.0 GPA and earn
a “Good” or “Excellent” in conduct in all subjects, and must demonstrate consistent attendance, and not have more than twelve (12)
unexcused absences. While a member of Student Government the student must maintain a
3.0 or better GPA and have a “Good” or “
Excellent” in conduct. Failure to complete
these requirements may result in removal of
the student from Student Government.
COMMUNICATION
Parent Conferences
The school year is divided into four (4) quarters. The report cards are not designed to be
the sole communication between school and
home. Therefore, parent-teacher conferences
are scheduled in the Fall and Spring. Additional conferences may be requested throughout the school year.
of each quarter. Any student receiving less
than a “C” in a subject will receive a Progress
Report. Progress Reports will be sent home
electronically. Parents may request a Friday
report on Monday if their students are on probation, in addition to Progress Reports. These
are sent home on Friday or on a bi-weekly basis. Junior High students are responsible for
getting their Friday reports from teachers and
must have them signed by the parent and returned to the teacher.
Report Cards
Report cards are sent home at the end of each
quarter. In the fall and spring a parent conference is held at report card time. Parents are
encouraged to contact teachers anytime during
the school year via voice mail or e-mail. Keeping abreast of the progress of the child is a joint
responsibility of parent and teacher. Appointments can be made through the teacher by calling (661) 326-7955 and then asking for the
teacher's extension. Please do not call the
teachers at home or during instructional
time.
“Oldest & Only”
The administration will send home a monthly
envelope by way of the “Oldest or Only” student once a month. Please ask your child for
this communication to keep updated. The O
& O is the vehicle of communication with the
school, PTO and School Board. Please read it
faithfully. All material sent home in the O &
O envelopes or on the internet MUST be
cleared with the administration.
Extended Day Care
Progress Reports
Child care is available all school days from
7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. St. Francis Day Care is
structured to provide a safe and caring environment for the child. The program includes
snack time, quiet time for homework, crafts
and outdoor play.
Progress Reports are sent home in the middle
Extended Day Care will NOT be available on
school days before Thanksgiving, Christmas,
Easter or on the last day of school before
summer vacation. If the child is not picked
up by 12:20 p.m. you will be charged $1.00
for every minute you are late.
For the safety of the child, if the child is not
picked-up by 3:20 p.m. or after a sport or activity, the child will be sent to Day Care.
When you pick-up the child from Day Care,
someone must come inside and sign-out the
child. You will be billed for this time at a minimum of one (1) hour. If you do not sign-out,
you may be billed until the center closes at
6:00 p.m.
Anyone picking-up a child up after 6:00 p.m.
will pay a late fee of $1.00 per minute, to be
paid at the time of pick-up, and paid directly to
the teachers on duty that day.
Students who attend Day Care are required to
obey all school rules and show respect for the
Day Care director and aides. Students who
refuse to follow school rules will be issued time
outs, detentions, suspended and/or expelled
from Day Care.
CONDUCT/DISCIPLINE
Discipline
St. Francis School Administration is not responsible for the behavior of a St. Francis student at a private or public event held after
school hours, on a weekend or a holiday. The
exception to this policy would be if the student’s behavior violates the teaching of the
church and/or the action reflects negatively on
the school’s reputation. In such cases a disciplinary action may be warranted. Parents are
the primary educators of their children and are
responsible for the behavior of their children at
private parties and functions.
DIOCEAN POLICY # 2400
DISPUTE RESOLUTION AT THE
DIOCESAN LEVEL
Disputes often arise in school due to misunderstandings, differences in judgment, opposing
interpretations of school policy, or alleged inequalities in the relationship between and
among students, parents, teachers, and the
principal. All parties involved in a dispute are
expected to manifest good faith in their efforts
to resolve disputes by maintaining an atmosphere of mutual understanding, confidentiality, and Christian charity.
To Resolve Disputes
Step One: Disputes shall be presented within
ten (10) school days of the incident that caused
the dispute to the person most directly responsible for the matter involved in the dispute.
For, example, a parent complaint regarding a
teacher’s homework policies should be taken
directly by the parent to the teacher for resolution.
Step Two: Disputes concerning school policy
or unresolved disputes concerning school personnel shall be referred within ten (10) school
days of the incident, that caused the dispute or
within ten (10) school days of the presentation
described in Step One above, to the principal
for his/her review and decision. If the dispute
is concerning an employee, the principal shall
advise the employee of the nature of the complaint. The employee shall be given ample opportunity for explanation, comment, and presentation of facts as he/she sees them. The
principal shall conclude his/her review of the
dispute and render his/her decision within ten
(10) schools days of the referral described in
this Step.
Step Three: If the dispute cannot be resolved at
Step Two, the complaining party with in ten
(10) school day the principal’s decision in Step
Two, may present the dispute to the Pastor
(Rector for diocesan high schools) for his review and decision. The Pastor/Rector shall
conclude his review of the dispute and render
his decision within ten (10) school days of the
referral to him descried in this Step.
Step Four: Diocesan Review: If the dispute cannot be resolved at Step Three, any party of the
dispute, with in ten (10) school days of the Pastor’s/Rector’s decision at Step Three, may petition the Superintendent of Catholic School in
writing for his/her review of the dispute. The
Superintendent, at his/her sole discretion, may
decide to review or not review the dispute in
question. If the Superintendent chooses to review the dispute, he/she shall tender an advisory recommendation to the Pastor/Rector in
writing within ten (10) school days of receiving
the written petition unless the superintendent
determines that additional time is required to
adequately investigate and resolve the dispute.
Normally, the school Pastor’s/Rector’s decision in the final ruling on a dispute.
The Parent is to understand that the above
procedure/protocol will be strictly enforced.
Procedures to be Followed at the School should a
Parent Disagree with the Disciplinary Resolution
Should a parent have a concern with the discipline/sanction assigned by a teacher, or other
concerns with what is happening in the instructional setting, the parent (student) is to initially
schedule a conference with the teacher.
Should the parent be uncomfortable in meeting
with the teacher, the parent is to contact the
principal who in turn will schedule a conference at a time when the parent (student),
teacher and principal can meet. Should the
parent (student) initially choose to meet with
the teacher and should the parent not be comfortable with the resolution, the parent is to
contact the principal to schedule a conference
with the parent (student), teacher and principal. Should the parent not accept the resolution from this meeting, the parent may request
a conference with Msgr. Harrison. Should the
parent not accept the resolution offered by
Msgr. Harrison the parent may then appeal to
the Diocese of Fresno, Superintendent of
Catholic Schools. The parent is to understand that the above procedure/protocol will
be strictly enforced.
The parent/student is to understand that the
teacher may impose a sanction(s) for inappropriate behavior! This DOES NOT preclude
the possibility that the administration/
principal may also impose additional sanctions, given the severity of the offense and/or
the administration/principal having knowledge of other behavioral infractions on the part
of the student.
Should a teacher impose a sanction(s) for inappropriate behavior, the sanction will be served
when the teacher indicates. Should extenuating circumstances exist, every effort will be
made between the teacher and student to serve
the sanction at another agreed upon time. As
stated above, should this behavioral situation
warrant being brought to the attention of the
principal/administration, the parent/student
will be notified by email and/or a telephone
call as soon as a decision has been reached.
Given unforeseen circumstances, the normal
time period to contact the parent would be no
later than then next school day.
Discipline Sanctions
Inappropriate behavior will result in the following sanctions:
Detentions: The types of Detention when
served are Morning Recess, Lunch-Time Recess, After-School and Saturday. For any of
these Detentions, the teacher is expected to
inform (e-mail or written note) the Principal/
Administration about the incident and the Detention assigned; the teacher will issue the detention to the student to be signed by the parent and returned to the teacher. A CONDUCT REFERRAL WILL NOT BE SENT
TO THE PARENT.
Morning Recess and Lunchtime Recess Detentions: A student will be assigned a Morning
Recess or a Lunchtime Recess Detention a
maximum of two (2) times a quarter. For any
subsequent detention(s) the student will serve
an After-School Detention. The Principal/
Administration will notify the parent in writing (e-mail) if the student will be serving an
After-School Detention
and the student, upon returning to school, is
to contact each teacher and arrange for the
above to be completed.
After-School Detention: (After-School Detention applies to ONLY grades 4 – 8). AfterSchool Detentions are scheduled each
Wednesday afternoon from 3:10 – 4:00 PM.
Students who participate in After-School Tutoring will attend Tutoring in lieu of the AfterSchool Detention. However, a student who
is assigned an After-School Detention and
who is also in After-School Tutoring will
serve two (2) Lunch-Time Detentions is lieu
of the After-School Detention. An unexcused absence from a scheduled After-School
Detention will result in a make-up detention
and the student will be issued an additional
After-School Detention. The pick-up area for
a student serving an After-School Detention
will be at the “A” Street parking lot gate. If
the pick-up is late the student will be sent to
Daycare.
General Behavioral Expectations
Conduct Referrals: In the event of a gross infraction of school rules/policy the student will
receive a Conduct Referral. The administration will contact the parent by phone or e–
mail regarding the incident and the punishment assigned.
Suspension and Expulsion: Behavior deemed
unacceptable by the principal/administration,
including but not limited to: willful disobedience, open defiance of a teacher’s authority,
physical or verbal intimidation, bullying, fighting, vandalism, harassment, theft; and the use
of profane or obscene language, alcohol, drugs,
cigarettes, is cause for Suspension and possible
Expulsion subject to approval by Msgr. Harrison. Bringing a weapon(s) to school is cause
for immediate Suspension or Expulsion.
(Diocesan Policy 4911, 4940, 4941, 4950, and
4951)
NOTE: During any period of Suspension in
which the student is not permitted to attend
class, the student will be permitted to makeup any assignments, tests, projects, etc.,
missed during the time of the Suspension;
Students are expected to:
Observe good order on campus and at
school sponsored events;
Be diligent in their study and complete all
assigned work;
Be respectful to teachers, school personnel,
students and others;
Obey the regulations established by the
school;
Arrive at school before the Tardy bell
dressed in the appropriate school uniform.
The following is a list of most of the more
common daily-implemented school rules and
expectations. This list is not exhaustive. Violations of any of these rules will result in an
appropriate sanction, such as a Detention.
A student is not to be on school grounds
unsupervised before 7:30 a.m. or after 3:20
p.m. unless the student is with a teacher or
parent. If a student is observed on campus
before or after the above hours, the student
will be taken to Day Care. This includes
frequent and lengthy waiting at the campus entry gates.
No running on the concrete areas on campus between classrooms and the Cafeteria
area.
No food on any playground area. Food
and drink are only permitted under the
covered area of the Cafeteria.
Bicycles, skateboards, scooters, heelies and
roller blades are not to be ridden on the
school grounds.
Gum and sunflower seeds are not permitted on the school grounds.
If a student needs to use the telephone the
student must obtain a pass from the
teacher and then use the telephone in the
School Office.
A student is not to leave the classroom
without a pass or permission from the
⇒
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teacher.
St. Francis Parish School campus is a
closed campus. A student may not leave
the school grounds during school hours
unless the student has a note from the parent and the student is signed “IN and
OUT” by a designated adult in the School
Office.
A student who participates in After-School
activities is not permitted to leave campus
before, during or after the activity unless
the parent accompanies the student or the
school accompanies the student.
A student who is observed completing an
assignment for another subject area during
another specific subject matter instructional time (without the consent of the
teacher) will have the paper/assignment
removed by the supervising teacher.
Cheating (plagiarism) on homework, tests,
reports or other assigned subject matter
assignments will result in the following
sanctions:
First Offense: A score of “0” on the assignment and one (1) in-school detention.
Second Offense: A score of “0” on the assignment and two (2) in school Detentions.
Third Offense: A score of “0” on the assignment, two (2) days Suspension, and a
conference with the Principal regarding a
Recommended Transfer or Expulsion.
NOTE: During any period of Suspension in
which the student is not permitted to attend
class, the student will be permitted to makeup any assignments, tests, projects, etc.,
missed during the time of the Suspension; and,
the student, upon returning to school, is to
contact the teachers and arrange for the above
to be completed.
No cell phones, pagers or I pods are permitted on campus during school hours or during
sanctioned school events. If a cell phone or
electronic device is confiscated the device will
be taken to the School Office, the parent will
be notified to pick-up the device, and a fine of
$50 will be assessed for the first (1st) offense, a
$75 fine for the second (2nd) offense and a $100
fine for the third (3rd) offense.
No Tolerance Policy
The No Tolerance Policy will be enforced for
behavior that will not be tolerated and a disciplinary sanction will be issued. The sanction
could be a Detention, a Suspension, a Recommended Transfer, or possibly an Expulsion
depending on the gravity of the behavior. Such
inappropriate behavior includes but is not limited to:
Fighting or excessively repeated rough
physical activity;
Inappropriate use of the restrooms;
Matches, firecrackers, weapons and any
other dangerous objects are not permitted
on campus at any time;
Use of profanity;
Bullying, harassment, hazing or verbal/
physical threats;
Inappropriate touching of same or opposite
sex; and
Action/behavior by a student at a school
sanctioned activity off-campus that reflects
poorly on St. Francis Parish School.
Playground Rules: The following is a list of,
but not all, the expectations when students are
on the playground.
Respect our Neighbors---Students are to
stay at least three (3) feet away from the
fence bordering the school grounds.
Throwing an object over the fence may
result in disciplinary action.
During recess, before school and after
school, students are not to be on the playground side of the yellow line unless instructed by an adult.
Only one (1) student on the slide at any
time. Students must slide on their bottom.
Swings may be used only in the forwardback motion; one (1) student on a swing at
any time. Students may not jump-out of
the swing and students waiting for an
available swing are to stand in front of the
swing(s).
There is no running on the concrete between classrooms, under the Cafeteria can-
opy or around the bathrooms.
Kindergarten through eighth (8th) grade
students may not play in the Preschool
area.
Walking or sitting on top of playground
equipment is not permitted
Good sportsmanship, following game rules
and including all students who want to
play, is expected of students on the playground.
There is absolutely NO physical contact on
the playground (fighting, pushing, tackling,
tripping, etc.); NO inappropriate touching
of a sexual nature of the same or opposite
sex; and NO unacceptable display of affection.
No personal playground equipment or
sand toys may be brought to school.
There is NO throwing of sand, bark, rocks,
dirt, etc. at each other or on playground
equipment.
Leaving School Grounds: A student is not permitted to leave the school grounds during
school hours without permission from the
school and written authorization from the parent or guardian. This applies to students involved in After School sports, choir, tutorial
sessions and dances.
St. Francis Parish School accepts NO responsibility for any student who leaves the campus
without permission. The parent, guardian or
authorized person is to pick-up the student
upon dismissal from school or a school sponsored activity.
Damage to School Property: Replacement costs,
commensurate to the damage incurred, will be
assessed for mutilating books, desks, and/or
other school property. There could also be a
disciplinary sanction imposed.
DRESS CODE/UNIFORM
All school uniforms must be clean and in
good repair at all times; and, must be properly fitted throughout the entire school year.
Formal Uniform
Formal dress uniform is worn whenever students attend Mass at St. Francis Church, are
on field trips and when representing the school
at all competitions. Shorts, skorts, pants for
girls and sweatshirts for girls or boys are
NOT part of the formal uniform.
Girls: Formal dress uniform for girls is a
jumper/skirt, polo shirt, sweater, socks and
shoes.
Boys: Formal dress for boys is the long pant,
polo shirt, sweater, socks and shoes. Pant may
be worn with a brown or black belt.
School Uniform
Girls: Kindergarten - Grade 5
Uniform---Mills black watch plaid jumper is
the uniform (Fifth grade girls may wear Mills
black watch skirt.) Skirt length must be no
more than four (4) inches above the knee
when in a kneeling position. White long or
short sleeve polo shirt or Mills dark green Vneck, cardigan or vest sweater is acceptable.
Mills green fleece jacket or vest, or a St. Francis jacket is acceptable.
Socks---White, black or navy ankle cuffed
socks or knee socks; or white, black or navy
tights are permitted if they cover the ankle.
Tennis socks are not permitted because tennis socks do not cover the ankle.
Shoes---Only closed heel shoes (tennis shoes,
oxfords, loafers) are permitted. NO van slipons, ballet flats, high-top shoes or boots are
permitted. NO roller blade tennis shoes,
heelies, backless shoes or open toe shoes are
permitted. Tennis shoes should not be a visual
distraction. For example, no flashing lights,
sequins, mirrors, etc.
Boys: Kindergarten - Grade 5
socks are not permitted because tennis socks
do not cover the ankle.
Uniform---Boys will wear the Mills navy twill
or corduroy slack with a braided belt (black or
brown) and a white polo shirt (long or short
sleeve). A Mills dark green V-neck, cardigan
or vest sweater is permitted. A Mills green
fleece jacket, vest or a St Francis jacket is permitted.
socks or knee socks are permitted. Tennis
socks are not permitted because tennis socks
do not cover the ankle.
Uniform Options
Girls: Kindergarten - Grade 5
Girls: Grades Six - Eight
August - Last Day of November and March 1st May: Girls may wear Mills khaki walking shorts
or Mills Khaki two-in-one skort with a St. Francis green logo sweatshirt or all-weather jacket
with NO writing on it. Mills khaki twill pants or
Mills khaki corduroy pant with a white long
sleeve turtleneck may be worn under the sweater
or sweatshirt (with pants) but may not be worn
alone.
Boys: Grades Six - Eight
Uniform---Mills dark green polo shirt (long or
short sleeve) and Mills Khaki twill or khaki
corduroy pant with a black or brown braided
belt is the required uniform. Mills dark green
V-neck, cardigan or vest sweater, a Mills green
fleece jacket or vest or a St. Francis jacket are
permitted.
socks or knee socks are permitted. Tennis
August - Last Day of November and March
1st - May: Girls may wear Mills navy walking
shorts, Mills two-in-one skort, St. Francis
green logo sweatshirt or all-weather jacket with
NO writing on it. Mills navy blue twill pants
or Mills navy blue corduroy pants with a white
long sleeve turtle neck may be worn under the
sweater or sweatshirt (with pants) but may not
be worn alone.
Boys: Kindergarten - Grade 5
1st - May: Boys may wear navy walking
shorts, St. Francis green logo sweat shirt or an
all-weather jacket with NO writing on it. Mills
navy blue twill pant or Mills navy blue corduroy pant with a white long-sleeve turtle neck
may be worn under the sweater or sweatshirt
(with pants).
Girls: Grades Six - Eight
1st - May: Girls may wear Mills khaki walking
shorts or Mills Khaki two-in-one skort with a
St. Francis green logo sweatshirt or all-weather
jacket with NO writing on it. Mills khaki twill
pants or Mills khaki corduroy pant with a
white long sleeve turtleneck may be worn under the sweater or sweatshirt (with pants) but
may not be worn alone.
Boys: Grades Six - Eight
1st - May: Boys may wear Mills khaki walking
shorts with a St. Francis green logo sweatshirt
or all-weather jacket with NO writing on it. A
Mills long sleeve dark green polo shirt or a
white long sleeve turtleneck may be worn under the sweater or sweatshirt (with pants).
Additional Dress Expectations
No make-up may be worn.
No hairpieces, falls, wigs or hair extensions.
Hair accessories are to be
“understated” and coordinated with
the color of the uniform.
Shoelaces are to be tied with the lace
bow on the outside of the shoe.
No long underwear, printed or colored
t-shirts under the uniform shirt.
No leg warmers.
No writing on hands or body parts.
No boots, high top tennis shoes or high
heal shoes.
No finger nail polish or fake finger
nails.
No excessive hair gel or spiked hair.
No beards or facial hair.
Boys hair length may be no longer than
the tops of the ears and the top of the
collar. Hair may not touch the eye
brows. Side burns cut at mid-ear.
Girls may wear post earrings no larger than a
dime and not dangling. A religious necklace
or bracelet, a watch and one ring per child may
be worn. Boy Scout and Girl Scout uniforms
may be worn on the day of their respective
meetings.
EMERGENCY DRILLS
Emergency drills are practiced on a regular
basis. They consist of the following:
Fire drills—practiced monthly.
Earthquake— practiced bi-annually.
Lockdown —practiced bi-annually.
In the case of an emergency evacuation, the
school will evacuate to St. Francis Parish
Church Hall.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Hot Lunch Program
Free Dress Days
Free Dress in reality is not “free” dress but an
administrative approved deviation from the
normal uniform dress. Free Dress is a privilege and a student who abuses the privilege
will lose the privilege of Free Dress for the remainder of the school year. Free Dress may be
worn on designated days as announced by the
administration and can be described as clothes
“appropriate for Sunday Mass.”
shorts, bare midriffs, tank or halter
tops, hats or jewelry
may be worn.
Skirt length is NO shorter than four (4)
inches above the knee while kneeling.
Short length is to the end of the fingertips when hands are extended down
the side of the short.
Waistband is at the natural/normal
waistline of the student.
Accessories
No make-up may be worn.
No sweats, torn pants, baggy pants,
short shorts, long low shorts, bike
Hot lunches are available for all students.
Monthly menus are published in “O & O” and
also posted on www.stfran.org/sfs. Lunches
may be purchased in the School Office before
school or after school. To do this, parents may
call the School Office and MUST HAVE A
CREDIT CARD NUMBER ON FILE.
Lunch prices are: $2.50 for Preschool and
Kindergarten and $3.00 for grades one (1)
through eight (8).
Should the student not have lunch credit at the
school or cash to purchase a daily lunch, the
student will be offered a hot lunch (which will
be charged to the family tuition account) or
offered a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
(which the student will not be charged to the
family tuition account. EVERY STUDENT
WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO
EAT LUNCH.
Students who bring their lunch to school must
do so in the morning when they arrive at
school. LUNCHES WILL NOT BE
RECEIVED AT THE SCHOOL OFFICE
AFTER SCHOOL BEGINS.
The parent is welcome to bring a lunch for the
child and have lunch with the child in the
Cafeteria. The parent IS NOT permitted to
bring the lunch at lunchtime, drop the lunch
with the child in the Cafeteria, and then leave
the school campus. Additionally, the parent IS
NOT permitted to bring lunch(es) for any student(s), or group of students, other than his/
her child(ren). Parents are welcome to come
have lunch with their child, but are not permitted to drop off lunches in the office.
Medical Screening
Students in selected grade levels are screened
for vision and hearing impairment during the
school year. Scoliosis testing is part of the 8th
grade screening.
Medication
Medication means any prescription or over-the
-counter medication including but not limited
to eye, ear and nose drop, medicated ointments or lotions, aspirin, cough drops and antacids.
All medications are to be kept in the office.
For the school to administer any medication
(prescription and non-prescription), the parent
must fill-out a waiver for dispensing medication with instruction, and the child’s physician
must give written instructions for prescribed
medication. These forms may be picked up at
the Front Office. All prescription medication
must be in the original container with the student’s and doctor’s names and directions
clearly marked on a pharmacy label (an individual permission slip must accompany each prescription).
All over-the-counter medication must be in the
original container with a parent’s special instruction for their individual child. Parents
must arrange with the office and their child’s
teacher for administration for medication during field trips (an individual permission slip must
accompany each prescription).
If your child is subject to severe allergic reactions, parents MUST inform the teacher and
school office each year.
School Pictures/Yearbooks
Individual pictures that are used for the yearbook are taken in the fall. All children will
receive a yearbook. Cost is included in the
registration fee.
Student Birthdays
Each week all student birthdays falling in that
week will be recognized during the Monday
morning opening. In order to spiritualize
birthdays, the celebration will include a
prayer/special blessing, and the singing of
Happy Birthday.
NO other birthday celebrations will be held
during school hours. NO outside refreshments or party favors may be brought to
school.
If invitations for private parties are handed out
at school, the entire class must be invited, or if
it is a single sex party, all the boys, or all the
girls must be invited. This includes before and
after school invitations and invitations given in
the parking lot. Balloons and or flowers
WILL NOT be delivered to classrooms.
Telephone
Student’s are not permitted to make or receive
phone calls unless directed by a teacher, only
for urgent needs. Cell phones are not allowed. Family business and arrangements for
social activities must be made at home. Students may not call home for forgotten homework, instruments, PE clothes, or extracurricular activities, etc.. Phones in the classrooms may not be used by students to make
outside calls. Students are not allowed to
phone home for homework to be delivered.
Late homework brought to school or faxed
WILL NOT be delivered to a student, it will
be placed in the teachers mail box if it is
brought to the Front Office after school begins.
It is the teacher’s discretion to mark the homework as being late or not late. If it is necessary
for a student to call home, the student may
use the phone in the school office.
Child Abuse
St. Francis Parish School is a Child Abuse
Awareness School. Faculty and staff are mandated by law to report any suspected child
abuse.
No Tolerance
No tolerance for bullying, physical threats,
drugs, firearms, fighting, hazing, and discrimination. A consequence will result.
Visitors
Parents and all visitors must sign in at the
Front Office and if scheduled in a classroom,
they may proceed directly to the class. Parents
may not enter a classroom simply to speak to a
child, to deliver homework, lunches, P.E.
clothes, etc.
STUDENT SERVICES
After School Sports Program
The After School Sports Program (ASSP) offers its participants the opportunity to develop
appropriate social behaviors by working independently and with others during planned ac-
tivities under the leadership of responsible
coaches. Its primary purpose is to help students become good and decent Christian citizens in the atmosphere of wholesome competition, and to establish for them the framework
for team spirit and fair play. This program is
offered to students in grades 5-8.
Administration
The St. Francis Athletic Director shall be responsible for the administration of the After
School Sports Program under the supervision
of the Administration. In the absence of the
Athletic Director, the Administration shall
provide administrative guidance.
The duties of the Athletic Director are outlined
in the job description, and are to include the
following:
Soliciting interested students for the ASSP;
Coordination of scheduling, rules, etc.
with the league and other schools;
Recruiting, selecting and instructing
coaches and team parents;
Organizing the end-of-season sports award
ceremonies;
Handle finances, i.e., collection of fees/
payments for uniforms, insurance, tournaments, and equipment for team participants;
Serving as the school league representative;
and
Reporting all discipline problems to the
Administration.
Coaches
Once an individual assumes the position of
coach, it is necessary that he/she accepts the
responsibility which is guided by the philosophy of St. Francis Parish School. Coaches
should possess a knowledge of, and a commitment to, Christian values. (See PTO/Volunteer
Hours.)
Requirements for coaches:
Qualified approved adult volunteer with
clear Criminal History;
Basic knowledge of the sport;
Leadership ability and skills in working
with students;
Strive to instill the fundamentals of the
sport, teamwork, good sportsmanship in
competition, and to promote discipline in
an enjoyable atmosphere for each student;
Use of controlled substances and alcoholic
beverage while supervising students of St.
Francis School is strictly prohibited;
Fingerprint clearance ; and
Safe Environment Training.
Team Parent
In order to assist the coach with additional duties, each team will require the assistance of an
additional adult to serve as the Team Parent.
Duties are as follows:
Assist the parents in arranging for transportation to games;
Arrange a refreshment schedule, a drink
after each game;
Assist the coach with various duties, such
as phone calls to players and printing of
information;
Help in the organization and preparation
with the end of the season party and
awards ceremony;
Support the team in general;
Collect uniforms within a week after the
last game;
Fingerprint clearance; and
Safe Environment training.
Responsibilities
The After School Sports Program (ASSP) is a
direct extension of St. Francis Parish School.
The coaches, students, and parents are representatives of the school, and therefore, should
conduct themselves accordingly.
The ASSP is an extracurricular activity available to students in grades 5-8. Prior to tryouts, each student is required to be academically eligible. Each student is also subject to a
twice a quarter academic review and must
have a “C” average. A student with two “D’s”
or an “F” is ineligible until the grades have
been raised to a “C” average or better. Stu-
dent's Christian behavior is vitally important,
and it is expected to be conveyed in all aspects
of the rules and guidelines set by the school
and coach. Students participating in the
ASSP are not permitted to leave the campus
before, during or after the activity until they
are picked-up by an adult. If the adult/parent
is late for pick-up, the student will be taken
to Day Care.
Parents and students need to understand that
the After School Sports Program is a privilege,
not a right, and that they are subject to the responsibilities set forth.
Players are responsible to:
Conduct themselves in a Christian manner;
Follow the instructions of the coach and
the school rules;
Attend practices and games as scheduled;
Contribute towards the unity of the team;
Treat members of the team with common
courtesy, and avoid making unkind remarks; and
Obtain a “C” (2.0) average or better in academics and Christian Conduct.
Parents are responsible to instruct their child
that he/she should be on his/her best behavior. Behavioral problems may result in the dismissal of the student from the program.
Attendance Policy
Athletes must attend all practices and games.
The athletes are excused if they are absent
from school, or have a note from the parent.
Athletes may not practice or play in a game,
or participate in any extra curricular activity,
(oral language, dances, etc.) if student/
athlete was absent or suspended from school
that day.
Sanctions for an Unexcused Absence:
First unexcused absence - warning
Second unexcused absence - next game suspension
Third unexcused absence- expulsion from
team. Three (3) tardies may result in expulsion from the team.
Parents are responsible for:
Assisting with team transportation provided the Diocesan insurance requirements
are on file in the School Office;
Keep an automobile insurance form on file
in the School Office;
Help with refreshments;
Being prompt and on time for team transportation and pick-up of child at the end of
practice and games. After waiting for 10
minutes, coaches are instructed to escort
each remaining student to Day Care at
the parent’s expense;
Maintaining appropriate conduct and being a good role model for the students;
Sign and return all necessary forms; and
Stay with your child until the appropriate
school authorized person accepts responsibility for him/her.
Abusive language is not acceptable.
It is expected that referees and coaches will be
treated with respect. DO NOT APPROACH
THEM BEFORE DURING OR AFTER A
GAME TO CRITICIZE THEM. If you have
a concern about a coach, put concerns in writing and give to the Athletic Director.
Awards
At the end of each season there will be an
awards assembly to honor the athletes. Athletes will vote for a most inspirational player,
most improved player, and most valuable
player.
Transportation
Away Games: Parents will provide transportation to and from the games.
Tournaments: Parents will provide transportation to and from their home.
Coaches are responsible for:
Attending required coaches meetings;
Outlining with their players the rules,
guidelines, and consequences;
Scheduling team practices in accordance
with the athletic director;
Staying with students until they are pickedup by the authorized person;
Selecting most improved and most valuable player utilizing the award guidelines;
Suspending participation in a game or
practice for violations of players responsibilities; and
Conducting a final team meeting within
one (1) week after the last game.
Sports Objectives - Grades 5-8
The purpose of the St. Francis Parish School
sports program is to provide students an opportunity to have competitive experiences and to
develop Christian character qualities that are
taught in the classroom. Good sportsmanship,
Christian character and team player concepts
will be stressed at all levels of play.
5th Grade
Emphasis: To introduce athletes to competitive
games.
Good Sportsmanship
St. Francis Parish School expects coaches, athletes, parents, and fans to demonstrate appropriate conduct and attitudes:
Pick-up after daily practices: For the safety of
your child, if your child is not picked-up after
a practice, sport or activity, he/she will be sent
to DayCare at the parent’s expense.
Parents will sign an agreement to follow
the good sportsmanship policy; and
Goal: To provide an opportunity for each
player to develop good sportsmanship, become
a team player and improve skill level.
ALL PLAYERS
WILL PLAY EACH GAME
ALTHOUGH NOT NECESSARILY AN EQUAL
AMOUNT OF TIME.
6th Grade
Emphasis: To learn advanced game skills.
Goal: To provide an opportunity for athletes
to continue to develop good sportsmanship, be
a team player, and improve skill level.
NOT ALL PLAYERS WILL PLAY AN EQUAL
AMOUNT OF TIME.
Jr. High
Emphasis: To compete on as high a level as
possible within league guidelines as well as
tournaments, and to prepare for high school
sports.
Goal: To provide an opportunity for each athlete to continue to develop good sportsmanship, be a team player, and improve skill level.
PLAYERS WILL NOT NECESSARILY PLAY
THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME .
Maps
Directions to OLPH & Garces
Directions to Heritage
Turn left on Chester from StF
Right on California
Left on Union Ave.
Right on Columbus
OLPH is located at 124 Columbus
For Garces:
Turn left on Loma Linda
Garces is located at 2800 Loma Linda
Turn left on Chester from StF
Right on California
Left on Mt. Vernon
Heritage is located at 2101 Mt. Vernon
Ave.
Heritage
2101 Mt. Vernon Ave
Garces
2800 Loma Linda
Mt. Vernon
OLPH
124 Columbus
Union Ave.
Union Ave.
Chester Ave.
Chester Ave.
Directions to Stockdale Christian
Turn right on Oak from StF
Left on California
Stockdale Christian is located at
4901 California Ave.
Directions to St. Johns
Turn left on Oak from StF
Right on Stockdale Hwy.
Stockdale Hwy. to Buena Vista
Left on Buena Vista
School is at 4500 Buena Vista Rd.
St. Johns
4500 Buena Vista Rd..
Stockdale Hwy.
Oak
Stockdale Christian
4901 California
Direction to OLG
From StF going east on Palm St.
Turn left on Chester,
Right on California.
OLG is located at 609 E. California Ave.
OLG
609 E. California Ave
Union Ave.
Chester Ave.
Direction to Valley Bible
Go south on 99 to Hwy 58 East.
Take exit 114 for Mt. Vernon Ave.
Turn left onto S. Mt. Vernon Ave.
Take the 1st right onto E. Brundage Lane.
Hwy 58
Mt. Vernon Ave.
Directions to Lakeside
Go south on 99 to Hwy 119
Take White Lane West to Old River
Left on Old River Rd.
School is at 14535 Old River Rd.
Valley Bible Fellowship
2300 E. Brundage Lane
Lakeside
14535 Old River Rd.
White Lane
Section V
School Support
Groups
PARENT/TEACHER
ORGANIZATION
(PTO)
MANDATORY HOURS
The PTO is the school’s official host organization. It is also the fundraising organization for
the school. The PTO assists with classroom
parties, Fiesta, field trips, Catholic Schools
Week, and any other duties assigned by the
Pastor and/or Principal.
A fee of $250.00 for mandatory hours is
charged to each family at registration time.
Each family is required to complete ten (10)
fundraising hours each year. Hours must be
completed before May 31, 2014. Upon completion of hours the $250 fee will be credited to
the family tuition account. Hours are credited
at $25 per hour up to ten (10) hours.
Board Members:
Dora Dunlavey, President
Tammy Zaninovich, Vice President
Ginger Willard, Recording Secretary
Kacie Hathaway, Treasurer
Michelle Harper, Recording Secretary
Alicia Gonzales, Activities
Rochelle Anzaldo, Room Parent Coordinator
Susie Antongiovanni, Preschool Rep.
Nanette Etcheverry, K-2nd Rep.
Monica Sacco, 3rd - 5th Rep.
Barbara Keenen, 6th - 8th Rep.
Tanya Mariani, Hospitality
Kristy Wetzel, Past President
Patty Brown, Elementary School Rep.
Msgr. Craig Harrison, Pastor
Sr. Cris Caballero, RSM, Principal
Mrs. Diana Othart, Vice Principal
Dr. John Ritter, Administrator
A parent who serves as a head coach in the
After School Athletic Program will receive ten
(10) volunteer hours if the coaching meets the
following requirement:
1. There are eight (8) or more students on the
team;
2. The team practices a minimum of two (2)
times a week and the parent coaches the
practice;
3. The parent attends and coaches all scheduled games; and
4. The hours are approved by the Athletic
Director.
At the end of the season the head coach must
fill-in the volunteer hours coupon, have it
signed by the Athletic Director and give it to
the office to receive credit for volunteer hours.
Membership — All school families and staff
are PTO members. General meetings are held
the second Tuesday of the month or as scheduled in the School Calendar.
The St. Francis Foundation is a 501C3 nonprofit corporation registered with the State of
California. It exists solely to support St. Francis Parish School.
Mandatory General Membership Meeting
This meeting, for all parents, is held the second Tuesday of the school year. (See School
Calendar.)
Executive Board Meetings — These meetings
are held the first Tuesday of the month in the
Teacher’s Lounge. Dates are published in the
School Calendar.
ST. FRANCIS FOUNDATION
Membership: Committed community members
Purpose:
Administer the Msgr. Leddy
Scholarship Fund and raise funds from the
community through events and donations.
Further Information: Contact Board President, Pat Clark.
ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL BOARD
St. Francis School Board is an advisory committee that
serves at the will of the Pastor. The Board meets
monthly and the meetings are open to the public.
Dates and times are posted in the bi-monthly newsletter which is distributed through the “Oldest & Only”
and the School Calendar.
Members are elected by the school community as their
respective terms expire.
Membership
President: Kim Hoffmann
Vice-President: Christiane Camou
Secretary: Michelle Harper
Treasurer: Mitch Wetzel
Member: Kent Jackson
Member: Chad Hathaway
Faculty Rep.: Patty Brown
PTO Rep.: Michelle Harper
Ex-Officio: Msgr. Craig Harrison, Pastor
Ex-Officio: Sr. Cris Caballero, Principal
Ex-Officio: Dr. John Rittter, School Administrator
2013-2014 Parent Participation Hours Coupon
Name____________________________________________________________
Child_______________________________
Teacher_______________________________
Event: ________Fiesta; _________Golf Tournament; ________Crab Fest; ______StF BBQ.
Responsibility:__________________________________________________________________
Date of Volunteer time_____________________________
Hours Worked___________________________
Volunteer’s Signature_________________________________________
Chairperson’s Signature_________________________________________
Hours will only be credited to your account if the chairperson has signed this form.
Name____________________________________________________________
Child_______________________________
Teacher_______________________________
Responsibility:__________________________________________________________________
Hours Worked___________________________
Name____________________________________________________________
Child_______________________________
Teacher_______________________________
Responsibility:__________________________________________________________________
Hours Worked___________________________
Section VI
St. Francis Pre-School
ST. FRANCIS PRE-SCHOOL
Each child is a very special individual. St.
Francis Pre-school believes that childhood is a
happy and exciting experience and that
Preschool children are intrinsically motivated
to explore the world around them.
The Pre-school and Day Care staff is licensed
by the California Department of Social
Services and complies with set standards. St.
Francis Pre-school employees are adults who
understand child development, and recognize
and provide for children’s individual needs.
The Pre-school and Day Care Programs are
open to any child in the community regardless
of race, national origin, religion or ancestry.
Philosophy
The St. Francis Pre-School Faculty believe that
children learn best by exploring areas of
interest at an individual pace. With this
approach, the child’s in-born potential guides
his/her development. Each child is unique
with an individual personality and family
background. Faculty believe that readiness is
not necessarily tied to chronological age and
that experience and maturation are the keys for
healthy social development, self-esteem and
success.
Policies and Procedures: Responsibilities of the
Parent(s) and Child
Pre-school policies require that the parent(s):
Send children to school on scheduled days
and times;
Send children in good health and clean
grooming;
Encourage a good attitude for learning;
Accept responsibility for misbehavior or
damage to school property; and
Work as a team in the child’s best interest
with teachers and staff.
Pre-school polices require that the child:
Follow school rules;
Respect authority of teachers and staff;
Arrive at school at the scheduled time;
Respect the right and property of others;
and
Does his/her best to make school a fun
and exciting experience.
Please refer to the St. Francis Parish School
Parent Handbook preceding this section for
other information applying to St. Francis Preschool students (Minimum Day Schedules do
not apply.)
Discipline
St. Francis Parish Pre-school takes an assertive
approach to discipline. Children are held
accountable for their actions. The rules of the
school are grounded in the Catholic concern
for self and others.
Discipline is used to re-shape negative
behavior in order to encourage self-control and
develop self-esteem. Re-direction will be used
when a child is in danger of:
Hurting self or others;
Disturbing the classroom teaching process;
Damaging school or private property; or
Degrading or disgracing another child.
Children who do not choose to respond to redirection will be given a “time out” period
away from the group activity. “Time out” will
not exceed ten (10)minutes.
If a child exhibits extreme behavioral problems
which are disruptive to the program, a
conference will be scheduled with the parent
(s), teacher and director.
After the conference, if the child displays the
same behavior and does not improve through
specific efforts of the teacher, the child will be
asked to withdraw from Pre-school.
If a child bites another child, he/she will be
sent home for the remainder of the school day.
Repeat offenders will be asked to withdraw
from Pre-school.
Dress Code
Children are to be sent to school in clean
comfortable play clothes.
Much of the
learning takes place through play. A child is
free to explore the environment when wearing
durable, easy to clean clothing.
Shoes must have closed toes and backs, and
must be worn with socks. Students are not
allowed to wear sandals, flip-flop shoes, shoes
with a heel higher than 3/4”, or boots. St.
Francis Parish Pre-school T-shirts will be worn
on field trip days.
Grooming Code
No hair extensions, altering of hair color,
streaking, highlighting or dyeing;
No gloves of any kind;
No hats of any kind;
No dread lock or bi-level haircuts or fad
haircuts;
Hair must be clean and groomed daily;
Boys hair length may be no longer than the
tops of the ears, the top of the collar, and
cannot touch the eyebrows;
No excessive hair gel or spiked hair;
No hairpieces, falls, wigs, or extensions,
etc.;
No fingernail polish
Financial Policy
Fees:
Pre-school Registration Fee : $250.00
Note: All fees are non-refundable.
If a child becomes ill at school the parent(s)
will be called to pick-up the child promptly. If
a child has a temperature of 101 degrees or
higher, the Pre-school is mandated by the state
to remove the child from the facility.
Administration of medication while at Preschool is mandated by the state. A parental
permission slip must be on file at the Preschool with the director and must include:
Name of child;
Name of medication;
Current dosage;
Name of physician; and
Parent signature.
Children may not attend Pre-school with the
following communicable diseases:
Flu or Colds
Chicken Pox
Measles
Ring Worm
Strep Throat
Pink Eye
Impetigo
Lice
Pin Worms
Glardiasis
Hepatitis A
Salmonellosis
Scarlet Fever
High fevers 101+
Rash
Pre-school follows the same financial policy
and the same academic calendar as St. Francis
Parish School. Pre-School students are not
eligible for Tuition Assistance.
Illness
Children are not to be sent to school if they are
not feeling well. If the child will be absent,
please call the Pre-school by 8:30 a.m.
Volunteers
In order to volunteer at Pre-school or drive
for a field trip, the volunteers must be twenty
-five (25) years of age, have completed the
Diocese Safe Environment training, be
fingerprinted with a clear criminal history,
have a copy of their insurance declaration
page, a copy of their driver’s liscence, and
current registration on file. Volunteer drivers
may only drive St. Francis Pre-school
children. Siblings cannot attend field trips.
Section VII
Organizational
Structure
Section VIII
Facility Maps
S
t
r
e
e
t
P
i
n
e
StF Day Care
House
2601 5th St.
- 57Water
- Main
©2013 St. Francis Parish School
Office
Water or Gas Main Shutoff
Room
8
Electrical
Shut-Off
Fire Extinguisher
Room
9
Girl's Restroom
Room
7
P.E.
Music
Evacuation Route
Room
10
Storage
&
Boy's Restroom
Fire Pull Station
Room
11
Kitchen
Cafeteri
Room
12
Room
6
Room
13
Room
4
Room 14
Room
3
Computer
Lab
Room
2
Restroo
Room
1
Garage
Restroo
Roo
W
Room
19
Religious
Education
Gas Main Shut-Off
Room
17
Teacher's Lounge
Roo
Pre-School Parking Area
Palm Street
Room
5
Library
Playground / Evacuation Area
(see detailed Pre-School Map)
Pre-School
Dracena Street
S
N
Parking
Lot
StF Fine Arts
Building
E
X:\Parent Handbook\pre-school evacuation map.pub
Fire
Evacuation Route
Fire Pull Station
S
t
r
e
e
P
i
n
e
Fire Control Unit
Alarm Control
Nap Room
Bat
Bat
Mrs. Nolasco/Mrs. Antongio-
Storage
H
a
l
l
w
a
y
Staff
Storage
Chapel
Director’s Office
Laundry
Kitchen
Mrs. Yolanda / Day
St. Francis Parish Pre-School
Evacuation Area to Playground
Mrs. Lenk
Mrs. Chaidez
Courtyard Play Area
Mrs. Johnson’s Play-
Mrs. Johnson
Dracena Street
Communication
Gas shut-off
W
Garage
S
N
E
Parking
Lot

FAMILY MANUAL 2013-2014 “Lord make me an instrument of thy peace”

Transcription

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